One large raccoon and several smaller ones have invaded the White House grounds.

(CNN) - In the ongoing battle between a pack of particularly ambitious raccoons and the White House groundskeepers, the raccoons appear to be winning.

According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, no raccoons have been caught on the White House grounds since the band of intruders were first spotted roaming the premises earlier this month.

The National Parks service set up several traps around the White House lawn earlier this week after determining one large raccoon and several smaller ones were causing trouble around the West Wing and the Executive Mansion.

If and when the raccoons are caught they will be released into the wild, the National Park Service has said.

But the traps, which include peanut butter and apples as bait, have yet to allure any of the pesky mammals.

"No raccoons that I know of have been caught or disbursed into other places in Washington," said Gibbs.

The White House press secretary also said he would be of little use in the hunt: "There are a few that roam in my backyard, so I don't have any particular tips."

Under the Bush administration, the raccoons would have been rounded up to be water boarded in Gitmo. Sarah Palin would try to hunt them down with helicopters. No wonder the critters waited until now to visit the White House grounds.

February 6, 2009 06:01 pm at 6:01 pm |

Mike Donovan, Portland, OR

I hope those raccoons are descendants of Calvin Coolidge's pet raccoon, which he kept at the White House

February 6, 2009 06:03 pm at 6:03 pm |

Neko

Whether their presence was calculated or not, the poor things are running out of places to go. That's why they learned to shapeshift. ^_~ Can't track down em' down when they blend in. Just watch Pom Poko. Raccoons rock!!!

February 6, 2009 06:03 pm at 6:03 pm |

janet, ohio

"Allure" is a noun, not a verb. The word you want is "lure".

You will have to take the raccoons very far, hundreds of miles, or they will return.

February 6, 2009 06:05 pm at 6:05 pm |

Bobby

You can't blame them....they're just looking for their share of the stimulus package. Every other special interest got a share.

February 6, 2009 06:07 pm at 6:07 pm |

Chris Rigney

instead of apples and peanut butter use 9-lives dry catfood and they WILL come for that.

February 6, 2009 06:11 pm at 6:11 pm |

bdhussey@sbcglobal.net

Forget the peanut butter and apples. Raccoons like peanuts in the shell. Just throw them around and some in the cage. Used them for years. Good luck

February 6, 2009 06:14 pm at 6:14 pm |

Ellen M. Wolfe

I used to have trouble with racoons in my yard,,mostly because we also had dogs, cats ,rabbits and geese. Coons will eat almost anything, but marshmallows work well in live traps. Disposing of them afterwards is a problem. If you turn them loose in the wild there will be conflict with coons already living there, but you can turn to the department of conservation for advice.

February 6, 2009 06:15 pm at 6:15 pm |

worriedmom

Hey leave them alone. They are just looking for some bail-out money for their crib!!!!

February 6, 2009 06:16 pm at 6:16 pm |

Simo Hayha

Raccoons can be viscious, dangerous animals. They have a nasty bite and they can carry rabies.

I'd suggest tuna in the traps. Get them used to feeding in a certain spot at night. Get them used to eating things with your smell. Then get the traps in closer and closer and closer until the bait is in the trap.

Some night vision gear may help, even the cheap sporting goods store variety.

February 6, 2009 06:17 pm at 6:17 pm |

Angela

This story is better than the Etta James and Beyounce one. I like raccoons, as long as they stay outside and mind their manners. :)

February 6, 2009 06:21 pm at 6:21 pm |

Nicole

I hope they catch these little mean animals. There are 2 small children running around this could be very dangerous.

February 6, 2009 06:28 pm at 6:28 pm |

Ellie, MD

I WISHED one of those raccoons would take a big BITE out of the butts of Lindsey Graham, John Boehner, John McCain and all those other Republicans idiots for their continued show boating when it comes to the stimulus plan! LOL.

February 6, 2009 06:30 pm at 6:30 pm |

Lou

I have trapped many, many raccoons and the bait to use is cat food. It never fails. And I have never trapped a cat – too smart for it.

February 6, 2009 06:32 pm at 6:32 pm |

Robert Toews

You are using the wrong bait. Use canned cat food. I have trapped and relocated seven racoons and two feral cats from my housing area in the past few years.

February 6, 2009 06:33 pm at 6:33 pm |

SM

Shari: No, a GROUNDHOG bit Major Bloomberg on Groundhog Day, not a racoon!

February 6, 2009 06:33 pm at 6:33 pm |

gail

Raccons can have rabies. They need to catch them and if healthy put them in the wild.

February 6, 2009 06:35 pm at 6:35 pm |

linda

I love raccoons. They are great teachers about the masks we wear. When my mother-in-law lived outside Santa Fe, NM we had one get in under her trailer with her young ones. My mother-in-law told me I needed to close off all the openings to the underside of the trailer as they were very busy clanging on the pipes at night and we could not sleep.

I told her that there was no way I was going to seal off anything and jeopardize her babies and incur the mother's wrath as I had a young child at the time and it was against my principles.

My mother-in-law was not happy, however, I stood my ground. Several days later I came home from work and walk around the corner and there stands the raccoon at the bottom of the stairs to the front door. I sure was startled. I had no idea they were so tall. However, we sized each other up and I silently asked her if she could please find another place to live in the next several weeks as she was keeping up my mother-in-law who was old and feeble and needed her nightly rest to be able to function on a daily basis in a reasonable manner because I was gone during the day.

Guess what? She moved by the end of the week with her family.

February 6, 2009 06:35 pm at 6:35 pm |

Mari

At one time, raccoons invaded the building where I worked. Facility Services used peanut butter and tuna fish in their live traps; though it took a few days. They need to watch for mice and rats, too.

February 6, 2009 06:37 pm at 6:37 pm |

deb in az

watch the killing of the racoons or that nut ashley judd will be beating down your doors! she should make an effort to go to alaska and take in all the over abundace of wolves so they dont kill all the carabou off...shes got the money and could create a santurary for them in calif

February 6, 2009 06:38 pm at 6:38 pm |

Steve in Las Vegas,NV

Quick! Call Mooseburger Palin, call in a chopper and she can get them fron the air, if she can't make it, call Cheney, have him bring his shotgun and he can shoot them in the face. Both have great experience in killing things

CNN, This only a JOKE!!! I repeat This is only a JOKE!!

Let the wildlfe just stay where they are or have Caribou Barbie or Cheney take them home. Both live close to the wilderness and Palin can see the forest from her home

February 6, 2009 06:38 pm at 6:38 pm |

Butch Dillon

You mean the inhabitants of the White House cannot coexist with a band of raccoons? That's pathetic!!! Leave them alone, all they want to do is live in a safe place, raise families and lead quality lives. Sounds just like the rest of us. What a disgrace it would be if the freaks in charge killed a few defenseless animals because they simply could not cope with another species. Kill the republicans instead, they're bigger targets and more worthy as wall trophies.